Aging Magician at Walker Art Center (World Premiere)

"Two artists with long-standing Walker relationships—Julian Crouch of Improbable Theatre and composer/vocalist Rinde Eckert—return with the premiere of a poignant new music-theater work that paints an allegory on time, youth, and the particular magic of ordinary life. It is the story of an elderly watchmaker who moves us from the surgical repair of a timepiece to the magic show of time itself, a journey to find meaning and create a legacy at the end of a life.

At the center of this sonic and visual composite is an enthralling score by rising classical composer Paola Prestini (noted as “an artistic visionary” by Philip Glass) performed by vocalist Eckert, a string quartet, and the 40-plus member Brooklyn Youth Chorus, conducted by Dianne Berkun-Menaker. The work also features inimitable stage design by Crouch, an ingenious playable set/instrument by Bang on a Can’s Mark Stewart, stunning video and lighting by Josh Higgason, and additional scenic design by Amy Rubin. Coproduced by Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) and VisionIntoArt."